Friction stir welding (“FSW”) is a solid state joining process that is currently being used in various industries where cosmetic appeal provides a significant market advantage. The microstructure of a FSW process area is divided into distinct zones. Each zone is substantially different from the other zones and from the base metal. When an anodizing operation is applied to an FSW processed area, the reflectivity is unique in each zone of the friction stir processed area and the base metal. Unfortunately, these differences in reflectivity significantly reduce the cosmetic appeal of the part.